Sat 16 Aug - CES

A "no rain" day so had to get this session in quick.
The day's tally was 27 as follows:
Dunnock - 1 juv
Wren - 1 retrap from 07 juv
Blackbird - 1 male juv
Song Thrush - 2 new juvs
Redd Warbler - 2 wandering (local) juvs
Blackcap - 3 new & 3 old juvs
Whitethroat - a new male in mega moult (it could fly OK) & a juv
Chiff - 6 new & a retrap juv
Willow Warbler - 2 new post-juvs on the move
Goldcrest - a very fluffy (unmoulted) youngster
Blue Tit - another 2 unringed independent juvs.

PS Bumped into Martin Garner at the BirdFair (Fri)

Blackbirds

On Sat 9th, we retrapped a Blackbird that was first ringed in September 2001. This happens to be the third "oldest" for the Group and at Priory. For the record, here are the "top ten" survivors of the last 20 years. They are all Priory birds!

RJ70020 - 7y.11m.14d; ringed as 3JM July 1992
RK32960 - 7y.01m.23d; ringed as 5M May 1999
RP77213 - 6y.10m.25d; ringed as 3JM Sept 2001
RK32964 - 6y,06m.10d; ringed as 6M July 1999
RK32957 - 6y.01m.10d; ringed as 6F in May 1999
RJ70090 - 6y.00m.16d; ringed as 3JM in July 1993
RK32596 - 5y.10m.08d; ringed as 3JF in Aug 1994
RH42479 - 5y.01m.11d; ringed as 6M in Mar 1991
RP77225 - 4y.11m.28d; ringed as 3JF in Aug 2002
RK32502 - 4y.10m.21d; ringed as 3JM in Aug 1993

Notes: 3=born that year, J= unmoulted juvenile,
5=born last calendar year, 6=born at least two
calendar years before. M/F = sex.

420 Blackbirds were ringed in the park between 1991 & 2003. Only 1 in 35 of ringed Blackbirds reaches its 5th birthday; that probably means about 1% of all fledglings! [The above shows 1 in 52 reaching its 5th year but doesn't allow for emigration, mostly young females]